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Cubism and Modernism. Figures and Icons in Josef Gočár’S Work

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JOURNAL OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM ISSN 2029–7955 / eISSN 2029–7947 2017 Volume 41(1): 9–21 doi: 10.3846/20297955.2017.1296793 THE STRUCTURE OF SPACE: CUBISM AND MODERNISM. FIGURES AND ICONS IN JOSEF GOČÁR’S WORK Domenico Giuseppe CHIZZONITI Politecnico di Milano, ABC, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, Milano, 20133 Italy E-mail: [email protected] Received 24 November 2015; accepted 11 December 2016 Abstract. This research paper relates to a number of works by Josef Gočár, a Bohemian architect who was active in a time period between “Cubist” vanguardism and “Rationalist” modernism. The theme regards the search for a general method which evaluates the key elements of the structure of space in architectural design. The main asset of architectural composition has traditionally been the close association between the syntactic order of the elements and a semantic perception of space. The aim of this essay is to explore the relation between the role of the experimental design regarding the multiple and changeable architectural experience and the creative process of architectural work. The methodological experience hereby demonstrated refers to a specific case study that belongs to the scientific research carried out by Gočár and his researchers’ group at the Prague Fine Arts Academy (AVU). His work is hereby re-interpreted in an effort to explore the experiential contribution to the architectural design discipline, and the figurative aspect, by reexamining various cha- racteristics of his practical experience as an architect involved in the civic priorities of the city, from the scale of urban settlement to the individual design work. Keywords: modernism, functionalism, spirit of the place, vanguard, character of space, Czech cubism, structure of form. Introduction Following the identification of the primary sources it The investigation had an important role in order to is necessary to proceed with two-dimensional drawing acquire further information, and it is considered a reconstruction of the design according to the tradi- basic instrument of knowledge of the structure that tional representation of the architectural project: plans, subtends compositional procedures adopted by Josef sections, elevations. Second step: after re-drawing, a Gočár. The graphic processes are used as tools for con- work of interpretation based on the proportioning of ception, verification, evaluation and communication the elements that compose the project is developed. of the individual project components and the architec- The resulting schemes are geometric reconstructions tural space (Lukeš et al. 2010). checking the correct reproduction and also the critical This procedure makes it possible to trace the ori- reading of the architectural work. This allows us to go ginal intuition underlying architectural work, where back over the process used by the architect in the con- the ideation is translated into clear typological choices. ceiving design project, from the idea to the concept. Form and construction are summarized symbolically Third step: after finishing the two-dimensional draw- in a form of language closer to the formulation of the ings we proceed to three-dimensional reconstruction of architectural idea. The investigative method plays the the project, through conventional graphics programs, role of a knowledge instrument that verifies the struc- focusing on an overall reading of the architectural ture that subtends compositional procedures. There are form. Fourth step: the combination of three signific- many steps we followed in this investigation. The first ant bi-dimensional drawings (a plan, a section and a step consists of selecting the architecture by principles facade) with the exploded axonometric view derived that follow the main aim of the research, through the from the three-dimensional reconstruction and drawn analysis based on the study of plans and drawings. using main construction lines. This procedure makes Copyright © 2017 Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VGTU) Press 9 http://www.tandfonline.com/ttpa 10 D. G. Chizzoniti. The structure of space: cubism and modernism. Figures and icons in Josef Gočár’s work Fig. 1. J. Gočár, Villa Glücklich in the Baba district, 1933 – Czech Pavilion at the Paris International Exhibition 1936 – Church and Monument to Tomáš Baťa at Zlín, 1940, re-drawing of ground floor and upper floor plans, cross section, longitudinal section, elevations and 3D reconstruction. it possible to trace the original intuition underlying a receptacle for the promotion and affirmation of new architectural work, where the ideation is translated into talents (Wirth 1930). clear typological choices. Form and construction are An initial issue arises as to the role and contri- summarized symbolically in a form of language closer bution of Gočár to the ferment of the avant-garde to the formulation of the architectural idea (Fig. 1). (Švácha 2000). In order to provide an answer to The research group at Politecnico di Milano1 have this, we must consider the phenomenon of “Czech carried out this study by reconstructing some of Cubism” (Vybíral 2012) and his cultural contribu- Gočár’s key projects which, for the purpose of greater tion to the new approach of the architectural space clarity, have been schematically referred to various (Deinhard 1972; Von Vegesack 1992). stages of his work: an initial “Classical” phase, an in- At the end of the 1890’s, in Bohemia generally and termediate phase which was more narrowly “Cubist”, Prague in particular, industrial emancipation was a and a final “Rationalist” phase. This division, despite decisive factor alongside the political reawakening being schematic, allowed us to compare a number of being expressed through intellectuals such as Otakar different figurative results (Švácha 1991b), in the belief Hostynsky and Jan Gebauer (Raynaud 1990), together that there were a number of constants cutting across with Tomas Garrigue Masaryk, future president the bulk of his work2. of Czechoslovakia, and others (Toman 1995). This generation of intellectuals succeeded in opening up The cubist approach to the space Prague’s horizons to contemporary cultural develop- Anticipating the new figurative tendency of cubism ments in other European capitals such as Paris, Berlin was the magazine Styl, published from 1908 by the and Moscow (Lamarová 1978). France, in particular, Manes Group. Together with the Old Prague Club, of held a strong attraction in the affirmation of a cul- which a key member was the architect Zdenek Wirth – tural identity alongside a Viennese influence within author of the first monographic collection of Gočár’s the Austro-Hungarian Empire (Benešová 1980). In work, produced as far back as 1930 – the magazine was this mix Franz Kafka introduced the base for escaping Prague’s characteristic individualism with his profana- tion of the angst of Bohemian nationalist misanthropy, 1 The reconstructions of the works of Josef Gočár were made while Jaroslav Hasek with his sharp sense of sarcasm by the group of researchers the School of Civil Architecture in the Architectural Design Workshop I under Prof. Domenico made fun of the volubility of the conservative middle Chizzoniti, and the Interior Architecture Workshop, under Prof. classes. The lively political atmosphere of the period Marta Averna, coordinated by Letizia Cattani, Benedetta Govi, Matteo Noviello, Luca Preis, Gaia Preta, Patrizia Rosi. The MOA was linked to intense cultural activity, especially in as- Laboratory of Politecnico di Milano also worked on the project. sociation with the manifestos of new programmes for 2 The Prague Technology Museum (Národní Technické Muzeum) literature, theatre, music and the figurative arts (Švácha has a number of subsidiary archives including the management of several foundations which comprise all the material relating to nu- 1985b; Lukeš 1990). merous architects. The Josef Gočár material was kept in an archive We hereby aim to survey key examples of the genu- by the River Moldava. The flooding of August 2002 caused serious damage to the archive and recovery of the material involved a ine innovation in architectural experimentation and considerable amount of restoration work. All the material relating to provide an area for the comparison of different ar- to Josef Gočár is now kept at the Museum’s main location. Some of the drawings are kept at the Museum of Eastern Bohemia in chitectural experiences (Valena, Winko 2006). In this Hradec Králové, Muzeumvýchodních Čech v Hradci Králové. case, the particular scope is the direct investigation of Journal of Architecture and Urbanism, 2017, 41(1): 9–21 11 the materials, such as the original drawings of the pro- essays, in particular on the relationship between the ject, photos and architectural surveys, so as to restore underlying principles of the form structure and those its compositional methods going back to the initial regarding the adoption of a new figurative approach creative impulses. (Eugene 1971). According to Veselý (2005), there is a new possible All the considerations on the sensitivity of space perspective on Czech pre-war architecture. He demon- were made by the mathematician Henri Poincare and strates that few features were strictly shared with cu- transposed by Jaroslav Kabelka (1913). This extension bism in its attempt to approach a universal creativity to “plasticism” (Emmerson et al. 1994) of the architec- such as the other contemporary architectural move- tural space is a new vision, which characterises all of ments
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